West Midlands Railway joins publicly owned Great British Railways

West Midlands Railway joins publicly owned Great British Railways

The transport secretary says thousands of rail passengers will be using public services from Sunday.

Half of UK Train Journeys Move to Public Ownership

From Sunday 1 February 2026, half of all rail journeys that Great British Railways will ultimately oversee will be operated by publicly owned train companies, marking a major milestone in the UK government’s plan to reform the rail network. London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services will officially move into public ownership, joining a growing group of operators now run for passengers rather than profit. The change brings bot…

Transfer of West Midlands Trains’ services into public ownership

From 1 February 2026, 8 of the 14 train operators that DfT is responsible for will be in public ownership.

London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services return to public ownership

Half of all rail journeys that Great British Railways will ultimately be responsible for will be on services run by publicly owned operators from Sunday, as London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services join the fast-growing family of operators owned by the public for the public. The milestone marks a further step towards creating an integrated rail network that passengers can rely on and be proud of under Great British Railways…